The Live Wire



Press Release

ONS confirms stronger Feb

25 March 2010

Reacting to the latest retail sales figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published today (Thursday), the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said they confirm February sales values were up on a year ago - as shown by the BRC's own figures published two weeks ago.

British Retail Consortium Director General Stephen Robertson, said: "The official data confirm our findings that the total value of sales in February was well up on a year earlier.

"But these figures may not be all they seem. The growth is compared with very weak figures a year ago when February saw the worst of last winter's weather. This February's performance was helped by sales postponed from January – particularly sales of non-food items such as furniture and fashion. But food sales growth slowed as customers had stocked up in January's wintry weather and food inflation is falling.

"Consumers are certainly more positive than a year ago but job worries, tax increases and uncertainty over what is still to come after the General Election are causing customers to remain cautious."



Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.

British Retail Consortium

More from Dods

© Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd